Residents of Jalingo, Taraba State capital in Northern Nigeria, are groaning over the unending scarcity of portable water, writes AYODELE SAMUEL, a blogger at www.ayodelenews.blogspot.com reports.

“Water, they say is life”, and the human body constitute of 70% of this liquid substance, as such water tops the priority list of the demand of mankind. 80% of diseases plaguing humanity are due to use or consumption of unsafe water.

It is generally believed that the accessibility of sufficient quantities of  portable water and safe sanitation facilities to a household determines the quality of life of the people and potential for poverty alleviation. This leads to the welfare improvement and is generally linked to a decrease in infant and maternal mortality, increase nutritional values and environmental hygiene.

In Jalingo, accessing portable water by residents remains a major battle forcing residents of the city to rely on local vendor popularly called Mai ruwa and few streams for water, while public water supply remained exclusive for the rich in the state.

Children at a bole hole n Jalingo

Wurom Musa, is a one of the slum communities in Jalingo, and is inhabited mainly by farmers and traders. Here the only source of water for domestic consumption is a local stream about 7 killometers  away. away. What would have served as a safer source of water supply- a two  hand-pump boreholes donated to the community 5 years ago,  had collapsed

In another slum community, Barade ward, there are tales of woes and anguish  whenever the Lamorde River, the only source of water in the area,  dries up, typically  during dry season. When this occurs, residents of the  community are left with no other option than to buy from ‘Mai Ruwa’ water vendors, whose source of water is unknown.

In another community, Agangagwasa, a resident, ,  Julian Bala narrated that getting water for domestic use is a major challenge.

“because here is a new area with plenty people, water is our problem, when the wells in the area  are dried up, it’s a difficult  to get water because, we trek long distance searching for water as if you are looking for petrol, its saddening because water board is not here”

Another resident, Mrs. Franca Osita told me that  she starts her day by searching for water, “I  have to wake up early and walk to   the stream to get water, or else buy from the water vendors and then prepare the children for school before resuming business, this is usually difficult for me”

She called on the government to show more concern to the untold suffering water scarcity has brought upon the people, by making provision for more boreholes and making sure that the taps are running again.

The Ward head of Mayo-Gwoi Village, in peri urban Jalingo, Mr. Aliyu Jassa, said the lack of access to portable water in the city is harming their health.

“ Due to lack of water from the taps, some of us depend largely on  Mai ruwa, and those who cannot afford to buy, have to depend on the river. Unfortunately we’ve had cases of cholera that have resulted to the loss of lives, especially pregnant women and children, I almost lost my children too, but thank God for quick intervention”

Hamman Yakubu a retired bank official, on his part lamented the hike in price of water by local vendors.  “Me and my family consume not less than three trucks a day at N200 per a truck of ten jerry-cans each, but we are at the mercy of the water vendors, who sometimes hike the price of the water at will,” adding that  it’s  too expensive for an average citizen in the state who earns less than N18, 000 per month, considering  other family expenses like sending the children to school.

Mr. Yakubu also noted that though there are pipes laid down for distribution to homes, but too expensive to embark upon, as it will cost N60,000 for the installation per home; adding  that the pipes have rusted due to non-usage resulting to  health hazard for the few consumers.

Other residents across the city bemoan the recurrent shortage of water andoverdependence for water supply on Mai ruwa whom sources of water is not known to the consumer.

Chairman of Taraba state water vendors, Mr. Muhamadu Ahmed said “there are over 20,000 members of the association scattered in various location of Jalingo”

Danlami Musa a water vendor said, he  sells as much as fifteen trucks a day and due to the high demand of the product he often have to go in search of water from the stream, stating that sometimes the water from the borehole is not sufficient to go round.

Secretary of the Association of water vendors in Jalingo, Mr. Iliya Jacob who had been in the business for more than 14 years said his service is an alternative to government.

“ I have been providing water for this entire area for 13 years, people troop in from distances to come here for water, sometimes we have to give them for free, as a humanitarian service, we see the untold hardship on our people, we regard our services as an alternative to the government, because most people cannot afford to buy trucks of water per day, there is no other option for getting portable water”  he added.

He identify causes of water scarcity in city as “dryness of well and stream majorly during dry season and well water  changing color during raining seasons, and sometimes due to the activity of the pumping machine, it drains water from the ground which often cause some temporal water shortage from the ground, and leads to dry wells.”

The Area Manager of Taraba Water Supply Board, Jalingo district,  Mr. Bitrus Bambur admitted to ravaging  water shortage in the city:

“the product don’t seems to be available, however the government is doing its best to meet up with the challenges.“ The Government is doing its best, the Taraba water supply board is operational on a daily basis, but coverage is not much, due to the growing population of the city, the coverage area is presently at 32%,”

Some of the challenges facing the State Water Board according to investigation includes obsolete machines that needs renovation and replacements,  inadequate funding , deficiency in human resource development, and manpower that has reduced from 600 to 324 since the creation of the state.

Other challenges according to Mr. Mambur, is the need to upgrade the facilities  for water distribution, stating that  only six out of the fourteen boreholes  in the Board are functional. Calling on the  the government to subsidize water supply, in the state  rather than putting  more money  in providing drugs, Mr Mambur said the proper funding of the Board and efficient supply of safe water will help prevent diseases.

A government official who does not want his name in print confirmed that that the State Government recently  accessed a loan from the African Development Bank, to enable it upgrade the water supply  coverage in the state from 32% to 75% .

The story is contributed by Ayodele Samuel, and published under the pro poor WASH stories project implemented by the Water and Sanitation Media Network Nigeria, with the support of West Africa WASH Media Network, WaterAid, and Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council.

Rio de Janeiro, 19 June 2012 – Over 80 per cent of countries have reformed their water laws in the past twenty years as a response to growing pressures on water resources from expanding populations, urbanization and climate change.

In many cases, such water reforms have had positive impacts on development, including improvements to drinking water access, human health and water efficiency in agriculture.

But global progress has been slower where irrigation, rainwater harvesting and investment in freshwater ecosystem services are concerned.

These are among the findings of a United Nations survey of over 130 national governments on efforts to improve the sustainable management of water resources.  The survey was specifically produced to inform decision-making at Rio+20.

The survey focuses on progress towards the implementation of internationally-agreed approaches to the management and use of water, known as Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM).

Backed by UN Member States at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit as part of an overall action plan on sustainable development (Agenda 21), IWRM is a way forward for efficient, equitable and sustainable development and management of the world’s limited water resources.

Amid increasing and conflicting demands on the world’s water supply, IWRM integrates domestic, agricultural, industrial and environmental needs into water planning, rather than considering each demand in isolation.

“An integrated and adaptive approach is essential to ensure that the needs of different user groups, which sometimes compete, are equitably satisfied so that development and management of water resources benefits all,” said the Chair of UN-Water, Michel Jarraud.

“Its success depends on a governance and institutional framework that facilitates dialogue and decisions on water resource management which is ecologically, economically and socially sustainable,” he said.

Twenty years after the Earth Summit, world governments are convening once again in Rio, where the critical role of freshwater management in the transition to a low carbon, resource and inclusive green economy is one of several key issues on the table.

The survey, which was co-ordinated by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) on behalf of UN-Water (the UN inter-agency co-ordination mechanism for freshwater issues), asked governments for their feedback on infrastructure, financing, governance and other areas relating to water management, to gauge how successful countries have been in moving towards IWRM.

Overall, 90 per cent of countries surveyed reported a range of positive impacts from integrated approaches to water management, following national reforms.

Other key findings include:

•      Water-related risks and the competition for water resources are perceived by a majority of countries to have increased over the past 20 years;
•      Domestic water supply is ranked by most countries as the highest priority for water resources management;
•      The majority of countries reported an increasing trend in financing for water resources development, although obstacles to implementing reforms remain;
•      Progress on water efficiency is lagging behind other water management reforms, with less than 50 per cent of national reforms addressing water efficiency.

“The sustainable management and use of water – due to its vital role in food security, energy or supporting valuable ecosystem services – underpins the transition to a low-carbon, resource efficient green economy,” said UN Under-Secretary-General and UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner.

“As well as highlighting challenges, this new survey also shows important successes regarding integrated water resources management, where a more sustainable approach to water has resulted in tangible benefits for poverty reduction, human health and the environment. At Rio+20, governments have the opportunity to build on these innovations and chart the way forward for sustainable development, where the water needs of a global population set to rise to 9 billion by 2050, can be met in an equitable way,” added Mr. Steiner.

The UN survey shows the major environmental changes that have taken place between 1992, when IWRM was firstly widely backed by governments, and today – and how water resources are managed in the face of such challenges.

The world population, for example, increased from 5.3 billion in 1992 to just over 7 billion today, with impacts being felt most strongly in developing countries. This has been accompanied by increased rural-to-urban migration and high refugee movements due to climatic and socio-political disasters.

Successes and Challenges

The survey shows that the introduction of IWRM on a national level varies greatly across the globe – from early planning stages to concrete implementation of new laws and policies.

When responding to the survey, some governments reported significant development impacts as a result of pursuing IWRM strategies since 1992, such as:

Estonia: Introducing water charges and pollution taxes contributed to improved water efficiency and a reduction of pollution load into the Baltic Sea.
Costa Rica: 50 percent of revenues gained from water charges are now re-invested in water resource management.
Guatemala: Hydropower generation capacity almost doubled between 1982 and 2011.
Ghana: 40 percent of irrigation schemes for more effective water use and productivity have been rehabilitated.
Chad: Access to water supply increased from 15 percent in 1990 to 50 per cent in 2011.
Tunisia: 110 wastewater treatment plants have been built.

Yet many countries – particularly those in developing regions – signaled a need for increased capacity-building, investment and infrastructure development in order to fully implement integrated water resources management.

Country Perception of Key Issues

The water-related issues cited most often as ‘high’ or ‘highest priority’ by governments are infrastructure development and financing (79 per cent of all countries) and financing for water resources management (78 per cent).

Climate change is cited as a high priority for action in a majority of countries (70 per cent overall) and 76 per cent of countries considered that the threat to water resources from climate change has increased since 1992.

But the survey also highlights important differences between developed and developing countries in terms of water-related priorities. Using the Human Development Index, the survey categorized countries in four groups: low HDI, medium HDI, high HDI and very high HDI.

Ensuring adequate water supply for agriculture is a high priority for many low HDI countries, while the preservation of freshwater ecosystems (‘water for environment’) is a priority mainly for very high HDI countries.

Survey Recommendations

The survey includes a number of suggested targets and recommendations, which are designed to inform decision-makers at Rio+20. These are based on an assessment of the findings from the survey and include:

•      By 2015, each country should develop specific targets and timeframes for preparing and implementing a programme of action and financing strategy for IWRM.
•      By 2015, a global reporting mechanism on national water resources management should be established. This is to ensure a more rigorous reporting system on progress with IWRM, and improve the availability of information.
•      More effort is needed to increase levels of financing and to improve the institutional framework for water resources management – especially focusing on low HDI countries.

Notes to Editors

A copy of the survey findings is available at:  www.unwater.org/downloads/UNW_status_report_Rio2012.pdf

Executive Summary is available at: http://www.unwater.org/rio2012/report/index.html

More information on Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) is available at: http://www.un.org/waterforlifedecade/iwrm.shtml.

The UN-Water assessment was based on two surveys: a questionnaire-based survey among all UN Member States (Level 1 survey) and an interview-based survey in 30 representative countries (Level 2 survey).

134 countries responded to the Level 1 survey, representing 70 per cent of UN Member States and fairly even distribution among geographical regions and HDI groups.

A list of all questions and the countries that participated in the survey is provided in an annex to the report.

For more information, please contact:

Nick Nuttall, UNEP Spokesperson (Brazil) on Tel:             +55 11 6593 8058       /             +254 733 632755      , E-mail: nick.nuttall@unep.org

Bryan Coll, UNEP Newsdesk (Nairobi), on Tel.             +254 207623088       or Mobile:             +254 731666214      , E-mail: unepnewsdesk@unep.org

Stéfanie Neno, UN-Water Communications Manager (Rome), on Tel.             +39 0657054079       or Mobile:             +39 331 322 56 40      , E-mail: stefanie.neno@fao.org

“Do you remember any time it was harder than this?” asked Yousufa Bukar, directing his question to the two elders in the camp. “I managed to find temporary work to feed my family last year but I don’t know how long my savings are going to last.” He is down to a few chickens, a goat and a horse, assets that cannot keep his family of five fed until the next rains.

Not all the usual coping mechanisms seem to be working this time: “I have to leave to find work in town, but I hear there is not much work there. We could have gone across the border to Nigeria but it is difficult now with this Boko Haram threat,” said a young man, adding that it was still relatively easy to walk across, but you could get arrested on the Nigerian side. “They are catching newcomers suspecting them of being Boko Haram sympathizers.”

Salle Galgno, 60, was unequivocal: “We had difficult years before. Life has become harder now. But we have to keep our way of life by all means. We cannot be anything else. We will remain pastoralists till we die.”

Diversification

But had Galgno travelled 30km south to Medelaram village to ask its chief, Malammamane Nur, how they were managing, he would have been told the solution was to “diversify”.

Nur, who leads a semi-settled pastoralist Toubou community (traditionally nomadic camel-herders), said he decided in about 1970 to allow some villagers to farm and others to trade to sustain their pastoralist way of life.

That time coincided with the beginning of the longest drought in West Africa, which lasted until the 1990s, according to several studies.

Diversifying their sources of income helped them survive some of the toughest years. “Some of us grow millet and we have our own grain and forage reserves.”

But even Nur is stumped this time round because of the border closure. “Our younger men would have taken our animals across to Nigeria. But they haven’t been able to and I am worried about our animals.”

Desert warriors

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Keeping animals mobile and healthy is key to survival in a drought. The Diffa Arabs, a nomadic community also known as Mahamid Arabs, realized that a long time ago. They have been largely unaffected by the current drought, except for a shortage of drinking water. “We have money to buy food and water, but it would be better if we had some more wells – the wells in our area are drying up,” said Mustafa Mohammed, leader of a settlement outside Diffa town and 2km from the Nigerian border.

Aggressively pastoralist

The Mahamid Arabs are a lot more aggressive in maintaining their pastoralist lifestyle compared to other communities in the region. They have also diversified their sources of income, explained Mohammed, “but our younger men left with our herds for Nigeria [following the rains] before the border closed last year.” He said they would remain there until the rains begin again in Diffa in June.

Returning pastoralists will be unaffected by the border closure, say Nigerien officials. Recognizing mobility as a fundamental right of pastoralists, the government enacted changes in 2010 to its pastoral code – guaranteeing the right to travel across borders during the rainy season.

Policies and attitudes towards pastoralists are changing (in Niger and Mali in particular) and helping communities to maintain their cultural integrity and become resilient as rains become more erratic, said Peter Gubbels, who authored the multi-agency 2010 study Escaping the Hunger Cycle: Pathways to Resilience in the Sahel.

Changes to Niger’s pastoral code ensure animals can drink water from public reserves such as ponds which happen to be located in cropping areas. The code also earmarks certain times of the year when agricultural fields can be accessed by their animals. But some pastoralists said the code is not always adhered to at the local level.

Aid agencies are creating and maintaining water points along corridors used by pastoralists to move their animals. The government and aid agencies are also paying pastoralists to stem the desert with planting schemes, which also help restore the fragile ecosystem.

Experts support diversification. “To some extent, livelihood diversification among pastoralists is not a totally new phenomenon but it can strengthen resilience to shocks like drought,” said Peter Little, a leading expert on pastoralism and the director of Emory University’s (Atlanta, USA) development studies programme.

Many policymakers mistake diversification among pastoralists as a desire to exit pastoralism

“Those who are able to keep their animals mobile to adapt to climatic and vegetation variability but also have some family members pursue non-livestock activities are those who tend to be most resilient to drought.”

So the communities are not strictly nomadic (where both people and animals are mobile) any more.

That does not mean giving up on a way of life. “Many policymakers mistake diversification among pastoralists as a desire to exit pastoralism, but in reality it actually allows them to remain in pastoralism and to reap benefits both from livestock production and non-livestock activities,” Little said.

Sedentary versus mobile herding

Studies from Niger show that sedentary forms of animal production are 20 percent less productive than mobile herding. “Nomadic herding generates six times more total revenue than agriculture practised in the same zones,” noted Gubbels. With droughts becoming more frequent, the already vast expanses of dry land will continue to grow, and pastoralism will be the only sustainable way of life. But it needs support in the form of financial services, improved access to water, education and health care. Urban areas are not able to sustain the many pastoralists who may no longer be able to sustain their lifestyles, he said.

Bappa Dari, leader of  a WoDaabe community, a nomadic sub-sect of the Fulanis, was forced to give up a nomadic way of life and take a temporary job as a security guard in Diffa town. Ten years on, he and his community still live in temporary shelters on the outskirts of town. He and the other men earn less than US$50 a month. The women make about a dollar a day braiding hair.

“This is no life – we can be removed from this land anytime,” said Dari. “If we manage to make some money, I will buy some livestock and go back to our old way of life. This time I know how to do it properly – only some of us will move with the animals – the rest will stay doing other activities.”

Source: Irin

Africa is home to some of the largest lakes in the world, both in size and volume. These lakes play a significant role in the political, social, economic and environmental life of many of the continent’s people and their importance is set to increase. Africa is also a vast continent of incredible diversity, physical beauty and rich natural resources though extreme poverty and life-threatening diseases are very real threats currently.

In fact, over the last five years as much as un-estimated arena Africa has experienced a dramatic environmental shift with widespread corruption and a continuing lack of resources for enforcement mean and massive crackdown on illegal fishing by foreign fishermen. Read the below atrocity by country.

Libya

There are researches emerging of unregulated and probably illegal tuna fishing in Libyan waters during last year’s conflict. Signals recorded from boats’ electronic “black boxes” show a large presence inside Libyan waters, a major spawning ground for the endangered bluefin tuna.

Rwanda

On the year 2010, Illegal fishing items worth Rwf16 million were set ablaze in Shangi Sector, Nyamasheke district. The items are said to be threatening the survival of fish in Lake Kivu. Residents requested the authorities to also follow up on fishermen who target areas where fish lay their eggs. “Such people end up catching very young fish and also destroying fish eggs before they are hatched,” said one resident.

Angola

In Angolan waters alone illegal fishing in only the sardine and mackerel industries amounted to roughly $49 million annually, more than a fifth of the total value of Angolan fish exports.

Mozambique

Mozambique is also suffering the illegal fishermen over its territorial water. On late last year was discovered a large quantity of sea cucumbers being dried in the back yard. They also discovered a quantity of shark fins, seahorses and sea turtles. Sea turtles are a protected species and are illegal to catch. Hunting turtles, and the trade in ornaments made from turtle shell have been illegal in Mozambique since 1973, and Mozambique is a party to the conventions protecting turtles. Mozambique loses nearly $38 million for illegal fishing in the tuna and shrimp industry.

Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea

Sierra Leone and Liberia are setting up ways to help small-time fishermen monitor and report the illegal foreign commercial fishing that costs each country tens of millions of dollars each year. Guinea alone loses some $100 million per year in catches.

Ivory Coast

Ivory Coast, which is trying to recover from a 2011 civil war, is being deprived of some 55,116 tons of fish by illegal fishing every year, The country is in talks with a French aerospace firm, Thales SA, about using satellite technology to monitor its territorial waters, and the government of Ivory Coast is also seeking more high-speed patrol boats to intercept suspect vessels.

Somalia

The international community has failed to grapple with the real underlying political and economic issues facing the troubled East African nation of Somalia, which has been surviving without an effective government for over two decades, according to a new study. With the country’s 3,300-km coastline virtually unprotected, industrial fishing vessels from Europe and Asia have entered the area in large numbers and are plundering Somalia’s rich maritime resources.

“Having over-fished their home waters, these sophisticated factory ships are seeking catch in one of the world’s richest remaining fishing zones,” says the report published by the New York-based Global Policy Forum (GPF).

On 2010 a report on pirates by the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore said the value of illegal catches from Somalia’s maritime jurisdiction is estimated at between $90 million and $300 million a year, and that foreign fishing vessels hail from all around the world.

The report’s author, Clive Schofield, a research fellow with the Australian Centre for Ocean Resources and Security at the University of Wollongong, called it ironic that nations contributing warships to anti-piracy efforts are in some cases directly linked to the foreign fishing vessels “stealing Somalia’s offshore resources.”

“This situation has led some pirates to justify their actions on basis of illegal foreign fishing activities — styling themselves ‘coastguards’ and characterizing ransom demands as ‘fines,’” the report said. “Without condoning acts of violence at sea, it is clear that the Somalis who hijack shipping off their coast are in fact not the only ‘pirates’ operating in these waters,” it said.

Senegal

On 24 February, 2012 a Greenpeace activists caught Russian-flagged vessel fishing illegally in Senegalese waters, painting the hull of the trawler with the word “Pillage” (the French word for plunder). Hiding ship names and call signs under large banners or nets is a common practice of vessels trying to avoid identification whilst fishing illegally.

“Not only are these trawlers emptying our waters, but they also show a tremendous lack of respect for our fishing laws,” said Raoul Monsembula, Greenpeace oceans campaigner.

The capacity of these super trawlers is simply massive. Often that they are over 100 meters long and pull behind them trawling nets that are up to 700 meters long and 50 meters wide. They can catch up to 250 tons of fish a day – a catch that is literally emptying the sea, making it very difficult for local fishermen to make a living. Recent studies show that overfishing in Senegalese waters threatens the sustainability of several fish species like Sardinella and horse mackerel.

Malawi

Malawi is losing $28 million (about MK4.6 billion) worth of fisheries resources each year due to unsustainable fishing in natural bodies, an estimate which represents 0.8 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), according to the Ministry of Finance and Development’s Economic valuation of Sustainable Natural Resource Use report in Malawi on January, 2012.

The Republic of Congo

The Republic of Congo has banned 69 Chinese fishing boats from its waters for illicit activities on January 18, 2012. The banned boats, which belong to three Chinese companies named as Lulu, Rong Chang and Huayi Jinri, were fishing in a prohibited zone up to six nautical miles offshore, which is set aside for reproduction and renewal of fish stocks.

Uganda

On January 17, 2012 the Ministry of Agriculture Animal Industry and Fisheries issued that the crackdown on illegal fishing in all Uganda’s fresh waters is likely to yield results as the country registers a slight recovery in catching mature fish.

Data from the ministry show that the country is losing close to $140 million from the fisheries industry due to illegal fishing and tax evasion. Currently the country is earning only $80 million (shs) from the $220 million it was earning before strengthening the policy to totally ban young fish on the market.

Nigeria

Nigeria loses $60m yearly to illegal fishing. In reverse, the nation is importing over $200 million worth of seafood products annually to supplement local production. There are very big vessels, mostly from Asian countries, coming into Nigeria waters to poach on its natural resources and they fish in the most irresponsible manner and these are people who don’t have any license to fish in Nigeria waters.

No thanks to the presence of illegal industrial fishing boats that are raking in large quantities of fish for export, Experts say illegal fishing costs African countries over $1 billion yearly. Illegal fishing and poor management of marine stocks cost the world $100 billion every year.

However, there is dramatic increase in incidents of illegal but unreported and unregulated fishing in African waters which absolutely could boost piracy on the rise over African continent and will renew again full thank given from African people at large as the MALINDI, people of Kenya did one thing to thank Somali pirates for Better fishing on January, 2010 if the United Nations delay to monitor over the issue and initiate a fact finding team as soon over African territorial waters.

Finally, I have to say “How can African Leaders move along with the illegal fishing industry across African territorial waters?  Hopefully, this question will remain no-answer by certain reasons actually.

Africa is still suffering the affects of global warming which causes Africa to be the poorest region in the world and looked as continent the most vulnerable to the impacts of projected changes due to widespread poverty limits and adaptation capabilities.

In fact, so as to draw a close measurable image about where the current food crisis is exactly exist as emergency in order to boost the desperate voice from entire African community most of who are living in fear from the continental food security crisis or in situations of need. Below you can see and read by countries scarcity in across Africa.

Somalia

Although, the United Nations  declared that Famine outcomes no longer existed in Southern Somalia the people’s call for help is still remaining in parts of Somalia and Somalis are still at risk due to lack of proper humanitarian action for security reasons. In addition to that, Somalia government and AMISOM are continuing sporadic fighting to defeat Al-shabab, an Al-Qaeda linked group in the most of south and central Somalia.

Nigeria

Hundreds of people are continuing to die in across Nigeria in a daily basis due to famine most of them are women and children. There is no adequate humanitarian assistance from aid agencies because of fear from Boko Haram in certain parts of Nigeria and people are still continuing to flee to the border areas looking for help.

Mozambique

Although food crisis is exist in parts of the country the current common situation in Mozambique is 50=50 the people of Mozambique started to speak loudly to push their authority to hear the voice from across Africa towards famine in order to set up good steps to avert drastic famine like Somalia or Nigeria in which could happen on the coming season.

Central African Republic (CAR)

 Thousands of people, who have returned to their homes in areas close to Ndélé, in northern Central African Republic’s (CAR) Bamingui-Bangoran region, after years of displacement, are living in difficult conditions as the security situation is still precarious.

The people of CAR are similar to Somalia people as they are without basic health, water, sanitation, shelter and proper food.

Mali and Burkina faso

At least  20,000 Malian refugees who are now in Burkina Faso are in situation of need from the humanitarian agencies globally though There are near by 1, 000 of people arriving yet and aiming to cross the border while the relief efforts is very weak in generally.

As a result of failed rains and widespread drought, Mali lost 11.8% of total cereal output between the years 2010 to 2011. While in Burkina Faso it is estimated that 41.47% of the country will face severe food insecurity.

The Burkina faso, Minister of Communications honorable Alain Traore stated that his government needs more support in order to help the Malian refugees in Burkina faso, the most urgent of these refugees is shelter, food and clean water  the minster said.

South-Sudan Republic

A near by 4.7million people of South-Sudan are at risk due to erratic rains and worsening food crisis currently. If the inter-ethnic violence continues to cause major population displacement and food prices keeping to raising thousands of people will be severely affected by chronic starvation.

In addition to that a statement from both the UN World Food Programme (WFP) and Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) said that in South Sudan’s first year of statehood, half the population of about nine million people could face hunger.

However, there are another African people who are still suffering the impacts from the horn of Africa drought such as Kenya, Djibouti and Ethiopia communities. Its clear that many other African people are at risk, as the government of Niger believe that more than half of the nation’s villages are now running out of basic food.

Despite Africa suffered climatic changes it seems that its leadership is doing nothing trustable efforts with no meaningful solution and even not mobilizing the ordinary society to wake up in order to create joint space for challenge, unless to wait for the drastic impacts from the hunger crisis ahead in across Africa.

Gradually, African government’s needs to support the local level attempts to build resilience, the national planning strategies could deliberately addressing community success with no more impairment average to avert the climate change problems.

Finally, I have to say “African’s time is not waiting for you; you have to think and move carefully to avert chronic despair over you”.

WE

RECALLING our commitments to supporting the Lake Tanganyika Authority as stated in the resolutions of the First Ordinary Meeting held on s” April, 2007 in Dar Es Salaam, the United Republic of Tanzania; the Second Ordinary Meeting held on zs” April, 2008 in Bujumbura, the Republic of Burundi; the Third Ordinary Meeting held on zr” August, 2009 in Uvira, the Democratic Republic of Congo; and the Fourth Ordinary Meeting held on zs” November, 2010 in Lusaka,the Republic of Zambia,

DEEPLY CONCERNED THAT, despite the many successful and continuing efforts of the four

Lake Tanganyika riparian governments and the supporting partners since the signing of the

Dar EsSalaam Declaration on s” April, 2007, the biological richness and sustainable use of the natural resources in the Lake Tanganyika and its Basin are increasingly under threat,

HAVE HEREBY:

1. Appended our signatures to the updated Strategie Action Programme for the

Protection of Biodiversity and Sustainable Management of Natural Resources in the

Lake Tanganyika and its Basin and have committed ourselves to the implementation and future evolution of the Programme;

2. Renewed our commitment to supporting national and regional levels programme and project activities implemented within the framework of the Lake Tanganyika Integrated

Regional Management and Development Programme;

3. Expressed our support to launch a national, regional and international fundraising campaign to convince member states and international funding agencies to continue the efforts made by the Lake Tanganyika Authority to conserve and manage the natural resources in LakeTanganyika and its Basin.

Signed this 29″ February, 2012 at Kigoma, United Republic of Tanzania

H.E.Jean-Marie NIBIRANTIJE

Minister of Water, Environment, Territory Management and Urban Planning Republic of Burundi.

H.E.J.P.JUMA-Alfani Mpango

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Democratic Republic of Congo to the

United Republic of Tanzania

Hon. Dr. Terezya L. HUVISA (MP)

Minister of State – Vice President Office – Environment United Republic of Tanzania.

Hon. Prof. Nkandu LUO (MP)

Minister of Local Government, Housing, Early Education and Environmental Protection Republic of Zambia.

For some African countries, there is cheery news in the 2011 Human Development Report.* Published by the UN Development Programme (UNDP), it ranks countries according to three measures of human development: life expectancy, education and income. In both Kenya and Nigeria extreme poverty has declined due to improvements in water, sanitation, health and other living standards, while Ghana has made steady progress and is now ranked as having medium human development.

The report notes that according to the Human Development Index (HDI, a composite of the three measures), the countries in the lowest 25 per cent of the rankings (including many African countries) improved their status by 82 per cent between 1970 and 2010, twice the average gain worldwide. “If the pace of improvement over the past 40 years were to be continued for the next 40, the great majority of countries would achieve HDI levels by 2050 equal to or better than those now enjoyed only by the top 25 per cent in today’s HDI rankings,” says the report.

Norway, Australia, the Netherlands, US and New Zealand lead in the global index. The report ranks Libya, at 64, as the highest among African countries. It is followed by Mauritius at 77 and Tunisia at 94. Egypt comes in at 113, South Africa at 123 and Nigeria at 159. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is ranked at 187, the very last, and nine other African countries round out the bottom 10.

The report acknowledges that even though a number of African countries have made progress, they still “suffer from inadequate incomes, limited schooling opportunities and life expectancies far below world averages due in great part to deaths from preventable diseases such as malaria and AIDS.”

The poor showing by some sub-Saharan countries results in part from a legacy of armed conflict, as in the DRC and Liberia. And progress in poor countries may be reversed by mid-century if efforts are not made to deal with climate change, environmental damage and inequalities, the report notes.

The Gender Inequality Index, a recently introduced indicator, lowered the rankings for some African countries, including the Central African Republic, Chad, DRC, Liberia, Mali, Niger and Sierra Leone, all among the ten least equitable countries. “In sub-Saharan Africa the biggest losses arise from gender disparities in education and from high mortality and the adolescent fertility rate.”

The Multidimensional Poverty Index, which examines factors such as access to clean water, cooking fuel and health services (not just income measurements), ranks Niger as having the highest share of poor, followed by Ethiopia and Mali.

The 2011 report covers an unprecedented 187 countries, up from 169 in 2010. This means that the results for 2011 are not comparable to the previous year’s figures, the report notes.

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*UN Development Programme, Human Development Report 2011, Sustainability and Equity: A Better Future for All. Available at: http://hdr.undp.org/en/mediacentre/report.

Source: Africa Renewal www.un.org/africarenewal

“Water rates are cheap in Mauritius compared to other countries in the region despite the increase of 35 percent scheduled for January 2012,” Energy and Public Utilities Minister Rashid Beebeejaun observes, while calculating the bill an average family of four who consumes 20 m3 (20,000 litres) of potable water a month would pay. “Only MRs 150 (five dollars); just compare this figure with the price of tobacco.”

Presently, 10 m3 of water (10,000 litres) for domestic purposes costs the equivalent of 1.50 dollars, while commercial users pay the equivalent of 43 cents of a dollar for the first 100 m3, industrial consumers 34 cents, and the hotel industry 62 cents for the first 100 m3. The cost for treating and delivering one m3 of water is MRs 12.00 (41 cents), according to the Central Water Authority (CWA).

Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam has admitted that there is a problem with the water supply in this Indian Ocean island nation, located 2,400 km off the southeast coast of Africa.

“We can have plenty of water, we haven’t planned properly. That is the problem,” he said. More than 99 percent of the population has access to piped water on their premises or within their homes.

Experts from the Singapore Public Utility Board are currently reviewing the functioning of the entire water sector on the island, both public and private, to improve delivery of services.

The water shortage is mainly due to leakages from the 100-year old pipes that have never been replaced, and have not been maintained for years due to lack of funds.

Thus, fully half of the water leaks before reaching the consumers, said Dev Aukle, acting general manager of the CWA.

The challenge is big, adds Beebeejaun, who has unveiled a government plan to replace part of the 2,000-km long network and build two more dams.

Haniff Peerun, chairperson of the Mauritius Labour Congress, says privatisation always brings in higher rates for the services offered, while investors make huge profits.

“Water rates would keep on increasing under private ownership.

Currently, private operators are selling one litre of water for MRs 20 (69 cents). One can get 4,000 litres of potable water with this same amount from the public water sector. So, how can we accept privatisation?” he asks.

Demonstrating in front of the offices of the CWA earlier this month, Jayen Chellum, general secretary of the Consumers Association of Mauritius (ACIM), said neither a rise in rates nor privatisation is justified “since a good part of the population does not get enough water because of the leakages in the pipes.”

But Mauritians approve of the government’s decision to raise water rates on grounds of transparency and good governance, citing as examples the banking, insurance and financial services sector and the sugar industry that are well managed by private hands.

Riad Hulmuth, a resident of New Grove, in southern Mauritius, says political intervention has ruined all public bodies in Mauritius.

“Political nominees who do not possess any skills always head such bodies. They are paid huge wages and fringe benefits, cars and travel allowances. Had the water sector been managed by the private sector there would have been less wastage, good management and abundant water for all,” he says.

Kritanand Beeharry from the Mauritius Agricultural Marketing Cooperative Federation (MAMCF) said he has no problem with privatisation “if the rates stay the same.”

Nevertheless, he agrees with the increase in water rates for other purposes “as the government needs money to invest in infrastructure to bring water to every household. This is not an easy task because production costs are increasing,” he says.

But Prakash Bhuckory, a farmer from Nouvelle Découverte, a village in the centre of the island, is not happy. Increased water rates would affect the profitability of his 200-cow dairy enterprise.

“Fodder and other inputs in animal husbandry are not cheap and milk production is not that great. It’d be difficult to manage the farm if prices keep on increasing,” he said.

Mauritius gets about 2,100 mm of rain annually that are collected by 11 dams, 5 aquifers, 25 rivers and rivulets and 364 boreholes. But most of the rainwater runs into the sea because of the topography of this 1,862 square kilometre island, while the rest is shared by domestic users whose per capita consumption is 167 litres, while the national per capita consumption including industry and others stands at 221 litres.

Demand for water is increasing by 2.5 percent a year – with a 16 percent increase for domestic users, 62 percent for commercial, 44 percent for hotels and 32 percent for public institutions.

Meanwhile, some 360 water users, mostly sugar estates, hold century-old water rights that guarantee them plenty of water, at almost no cost, from rivers, canals and streams that pass or border their lands, under the Rivers and Canals Act dated 1863.

But Beebeejaun told IPS that all water resources belong to the state and water rights are licences to use water and not to own it.

“The water rights owners are using almost half of the water available on the island. We are looking seriously into that matter,” he said.

But the director of the Mauritius Sugar Producers Association (MSPA), Jean Li Yuen Fong, told IPS that the estates need this water for irrigation purposes as they cultivate sugar cane, vegetables and fruit.

“Without this water, it would be impossible for them to produce food,” he added, emphasising that the producers are conscious of the lack of water and to that effect are investing in new and efficient technologies.

Yuen Fong said if the government puts a price on the water they use from the rivers that are presently free of charge, it would definitely drive up production costs.

Salil Roy, manager of the Planters Reforms Association (PRA), claims producers will die if they are prevented from using water from the rivers. “On one hand, we are asked to produce more food and on the other, water is running to the sea. What’s wrong with using it?” he asks.

Source: IPI News